Name: Amrita Pai, MS
Title: PhD Candidate | Biochemistry (Georgetown University)
Email: avp37@georgetown.edu
Research Topic: Effects of ovarian hormone loss on immune regulation of hypertension
Mentors: Kathryn Sandberg, PhD (Department of Medicine, Georgetown University) & Shannon Dunn, PhD (Department of Immunology, University of Toronto) & Jason G. Umans, MD, PhD (Department of Medicine, Georgetown University)
Pubmed: See Link

Bio: I’ve been studying in the USA since 2011 and this experience has changed the way I think about biological science. I came to the USA for the Master's in Biotechnology program at Georgetown University, which provided me with the opportunity to intern at the National Institutes of Health and to work at MedImmune, a biologics research and development company based in Maryland. These diverse experiences made me realize that the only way to fully achieve my ambition of becoming a biomedical researcher was to pursue doctoral study. I am now in the fourth year of my PhD program. The focus of my project is on the effects of ovarian hormone loss on the mechanisms by which the immune system contributes to hypertension. Specifically, I am studying the hypothesis that cytotoxic interleukin 17 T cells play a key role in ovarian hormone modulation of blood pressure. We are using a novel animal model of resistance and susceptibility to hypertension exacerbated by ovariectomy. It is my hope that my PhD and future research will lead to new insights into the management and prevention of hypertension and in turn, reduce the devastating conditions associated with prolonged high blood pressure.